2017-12-15

2017 IEMG Chess Blitz: A. Stefanova and Artemiev won

The 2017 IEMG Chess Blitz Games were held in China, Huayane, on 14th of December 2017. 1138 players - 72 GMs, 68 IMs, 62 FMs, 4 WGMs, 12 WIMs registered for the blitz competition. The Blitz championship was played in 11 paired rounds, on Swiss system, with 3 minutes for a game + 2 seconds per move, starting from the first move. The prize fund is impressive - 11.000 EUR.

Among women the Bulgarian GM Antoaneta Stefanova again became first in one of the strongest chess events in the world. She won games consecutively with Ju Wenjun p winning games and came over Nana Dzagnidze and Alexandra Kosteniuk. In the decisive bttle at the very last round Stefanova grasped the title with 14.5/22.
Ju Wenjun lost from Zhao Xue at the 20th round, then was consecutively beaten by Dronavalli Harika.
At the end Ju Wenjun and Kosteniuk listed 2nd and 3rd with both 13.5/22 after tie-breaking. Kateryna Lagno came 4th with 13/22, Harika and Zhao Xue scored both 12.5/22 to listed 5-6th accordingly.

In the men’s group the winner is Vladislav Artemiev. In the decisive tie-break battle with Alexander Grischuk he won and scored 16 out of 22. The Russian players took 2nd and 3rd places - Grischuk scored 8.5 ranking second and Dmitry Andreikin became 3rd with 14/22. The 4th place took Yu Yangyi with 12/22 and 5th and 6th both with 11/22 became Vassily Ivanchuk and Ding Liren.